Higher Education Commissioner Sally Clausen resigns

Saying she had become a "constant distraction," Commissioner of Higher Education Sally Clausen resigned Tuesday, ending a tumultuous two-year tenure when Louisiana's public colleges strained under budget cuts and legislative demands for rapid reform.

The announcement, effective July 1, comes less than a month after it became public that Clausen quietly retired last August without informing the Board of Regents, only to be rehired after missing one day of work. The move netted her a $90,000 payout for unused sick leave and vacation time, and entitled her to a $146,400 annual pension starting Aug. 1.

Commissioner of Higher Education Sally Clausen

The revelation brought a wave of unflattering publicity, and prompted the board to revise its personnel policies. Under the new policy, the 14-member board that coordinates higher-education policy must be notified any time a staff member retires, and the board also has to sign off before an employee can be rehired.

Clausen, who notified only a small group of intimates about her brief retirement, has apologized to the board for the way she handled the situation. But while some members were publicly supportive of the commissioner, board members would not provide a vote of confidence after a three-hour, closed-door meeting last month.

She has said her retirement was prompted by personal issues, including the demands of helping her daughter in Houston care for a special-needs child.

Although it made no mention of the retirement maneuver, Clausen's resignation letter appeared to acknowledge that the controversy threatened to overshadow the budget and policy issues being debated at the Legislature.

"It appears that my presence is a constant distraction to the important work of higher education and to the Board of Regents," Clausen wrote. Citing several key bills moving through the Legislature, Clausen wrote, "My hope is that in some small way, this decision will bring a sharper focus to these important issues."

House Speaker Jim Tucker, R-Algiers, who is pushing a constitutional amendment, House Bill 1492, to strengthen the Regents, said Clausen's departure could provide some needed momentum for his bill, which will need two-thirds majority support to clear the House.

"I think it's possible that it helps its chances," Tucker said. "There were a number of members who were very leery of giving additional responsibilities to the Regents under the circumstances."

Regents Chairman Artis Terrell said in a written statement that the search for Clausen's replacement will begin shortly. "While these are difficult times for our state and especially our colleges, we cannot lose focus of our core mission: providing high quality postsecondary education leading to more graduates ready to succeed in the workplace."

Clausen, 64, was Louisiana's sixth higher-education commissioner, having served in that position since July 2008. Previously, in a 40-year career that began as a classroom teacher, she was president of the University of Louisiana System and president of Southeastern Louisiana University.

Gov. Bobby Jindal, who appoints the regents and was Clausen's predecessor as president of the University of Louisiana System, said through a spokesman that the administration "supports her decision" but played no role in her resignation.

Clausen's appointment to the $425,000-a-year position came at a financial apex for state colleges and universities, which reached the average funding level of their Southern peers after decades of lagging behind. But since then, Jindal and the Legislature have cut more than $250 million in state support as state tax collections have declined, and even more cuts are likely next year when federal economic stimulus dollars expire.

In the meantime, legislators have become more insistent in pressing for details on how colleges plan to improve their academic performance and raise graduation rates that are among the lowest in the country. Members of the House budget committee have been particularly critical of college leaders for not being specific enough in explaining how they plan to cope with the upcoming budget cuts.

Tucker praised Clausen for her work on a blue-ribbon commission last year that recommended a range of higher-education reforms, including an increased emphasis on student achievement when state dollars are allocated between campuses.

"She has had a long career and done a lot of good," Tucker said. "It's a shame that it's ending under this cloud. I just wish her the best."